Miquel Barceló FISH'N'FLOWERS

Miquel Barceló (Mallorca, 1957) is the best-known and best-loved Spanish artist of his generation. He started exhibiting internationally by the early 80s, showing his work since in many major institutions in La Pedrera (Barcelona, Spain), Besøg Museum Silkeborg (Silkeborg, Denmark), Bibliothèque nationale de France (Paris, France), Fondation Maeght (Saint Paul de Vence, France), Museo Rufino Tamayo (Mexico City, Mexico), Irish Museum of Modern Art (Dublin, Ireland) or Musée Picasso (Paris, France). Furthermore the artist has won one of Spain's most prestigious prices: Prince of Asturias price. 

His paintings are normally quite large, rich in matter and texture, and relate often to aspects of his biography: restaurants, kitchens, libraries, cinemas, museums, his different studios, portraits of friends and self-portraits, landscapes or the sea. In 1994, during a sojourn in Mali, West Africa, and after many days of strong wind that made it impossible to paint, Barceló started making ceramics. This is now a central aspect of his work, Barceló is known for the following commissions in ceramics: Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room, Palais des Nations, United Nations (Geneva, Switzerland) and Chapel of San Pedro in the Cathedral of Santa Maria ('La Seu') in Palma. Barceló lives between Paris and Mallorca. 

The exhibition, on view from October 5 until April 20, 2025 at the Böhm Chapel, which coincides in time with an overview of the works 'Vida y Muerte' organized by MKM Museum Küppersmühle in Duisburg, is dedicated to the sea and its creatures. It presents paintings and ceramics made in recent years, including a large study for the murals at Mallorca Cathedral. The windows of the Böhm Chapel are designed as nets. We, the believers, are represented in the windows with the colorful crystal elements. The roof of the church is floating, because the windows cannot support the roof, so the weight is supported on the outside. Beholders are kind of looking at the roof from the perspective of a fish as the roof resembles the bottom of a boat. Meanwhile we are surrounded by different sea creatures, from crabs to a large tuna. And we are fish as well in the nets.

The exhibition is curated by Enrique Juncosa. The artist will be present. As part of the exhibition opening, Teresa and Rafael Jablonka will be awarded the Cultural Prize of the City of Hürth.